


fall asleep, fall in love

by haesuns



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, i Do Not attend uni. do not expect full accuracy, mark lee is a mess, my eyes hurt, this'll be 2 or 3 chapters total
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-09-26 18:22:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20394121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haesuns/pseuds/haesuns
Summary: Mark is a university student who's stuck with the misfortune of falling asleep and waking up whenever his soulmate does.Jaemin can't really help with the problem, but it's nice to have him by his side. You know, like friends. Because they're platonic study buddies. Right?(Wrong, actually, but confronting his Literal Soulmate about his feelings is a lot harder than Mark expected.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jenomeow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenomeow/gifts).

> ANYWAY i intended this to be written for the nana birthday bash collection but then i finished the other one despite starting this one first. hooray for organization and time management! markmin rise

Mark has a problem.

No, it's not like all the problems which his other friends have. His friends are concerned with their mid-year exams and scheduling their holidays to meet up with friends and family, and in all honesty, Mark would take their problems over his in less than a second if he just had the chance. He has to deal with these issues _ and _the added stress of whatever the hell was going on that kept messing everything up.

But life is never that simple; he can't just switch problems, and he's stuck with an issue he can't even put a name to for years no matter how hard he tries.

It starts at age seventeen.

The first time it happens, he's in class listening to his biology teacher drone on about cell membrane transportation, head propped against his hand in utter boredom. He really cannot fathom why his teacher thinks it’s relevant at all to know the chemical structure of such specific molecules, but as if some force in the universe is working against him, the teacher calls him out just as he’s spacing out into nothingness.

“_Mark. _Please stop ignoring your notes.” The voice cuts through his fuzzy thoughts, bringing his attention to where his teacher stands at the front of the room, mild irritation written plainly on his face and arms crossed over his chest. And sure, a quick glance at the board probably would’ve hinted at whatever he was supposed to be paying attention to, but that’s exactly when his bad luck strikes, and the only thing he remembers is falling into darkness.

When Mark finally comes to his senses, he’s being shaken awake by the guy who sits behind him in class—Kevin, or something—and all eyes in the classroom are trained on him. Despite not even being sure what happened, he feels the blood in his body rush to his face in embarrassment. There’s a look of alarm on his teacher’s face when he’s handed an orange slip, and Mark has no idea how to explain himself.

“Mark, go to the nurse and take your things with you, please,” urges his teacher, and Mark can only gape blankly before closing his notebook and promptly shoving everything into his backpack. He utters a quick _ sorry _in apology for the disruption and makes his way out the door as quickly as he can manage, avoiding the puzzled gazes of his classmates.

The nurse, as expected, isn’t able to explain much. The last time he had gone to the nurse’s office, he had come down with a fever and was merely given some water and sent home. He supposes the mint was a decent touch, but was it really? (Spoiler: it wasn’t. He was bedridden for 2 days, and the mint only made his throat feel grosser than it already was.) He’s faced with this exact same situation when he sits upon a chair, leg bouncing incessantly, and the nurse can only look through some papers in confusion before setting them down with a defeated sigh. The nurse tells him to go home in case he “faints” again so it doesn’t happen in a classroom setting, and his mom is quick to pick him up and take him home. Mark suspects that the school just doesn’t want to deal with the cost of an ambulance in case the problem happens again and ends in disaster rather than just lasting a few seconds. Good to know that the school system Really Cares about its students.

Still, Mark pushes his mild bitterness aside over having to miss a day for the sake of the school saving money and forces himself to explain the situation to his parents. He finds the bombardment of inquiries to be interrogation-like: Is he getting enough rest? Has he been skipping meals? Does he need medicine? Was there some sort of drug involved?

The last one earns his parents a bewildered look of disbelief from a poor teenage Mark Lee, but nonetheless, they take him to a doctor to have the problem looked at. The doctor seems deep in thought for quite a while, leaving Mark to study the diagrams on her walls to pass the time before she suddenly hits him with a handful of words that leave him reeling.

“Mark, this may be an issue related to your soulmate connection.” These are the only words she says so far, and his world is already flipped upside down for the rest of his life.

His doctor continues to explain the possibilities of the situation, but he’s only vaguely listening as he thinks back on all the soulmate stories he’s heard over the course of his life. The idea of a soulmate was never something he entertained too deeply; he knew they existed and that his was probably out there somewhere, but it somehow had never hit him that _ he _would start showing signs of having a soulmate as well.

As the doctor prescribes him some medicine to at least help him manage his sleep, all he can think is that of all times, his symptoms just had to start showing up now. Why during the school year? The universe couldn’t have at least granted him the relief of having the problem show up during summer so he could figure things out?

And from then on, Mark comes to the conclusion that fate is working against him.

Is it a bit over the top to think that? Maybe so, he concedes to himself. After all, everyone shows signs in their own ways that they have a soulmate, and his just happens to be sleeping and waking up at the same as his soulmate. He thus dubs the problem a Major Pain In The Ass.

When he moves to Seoul for university at nineteen, he’s provided with a huge respite from his situation. For once, he doesn’t have to use extreme willpower just to stay awake and go to sleep, and he couldn’t be more grateful considering how work-heavy his life has become. His moments of misfortune become few and far between, and he even makes some new friends at his university that can relate to his tales of Annoying Soulmate Symptoms (which he jokingly shortens to ASS for laughs). He still finds himself accidentally falling asleep during lectures at times, but his new friends thankfully keep an eye on him when they can, and Mark finally feels that life is settling much more comfortably.

Even if it doesn’t stop the inconvenience of his sleeping struggles entirely, he’s just grateful for the relief and having a support system of friends around his own age. They even agree to drive him around if sleep happens to strike at the worst times—namely, his angel of a room neighbour Jeno has basically become his chauffeur at this point without complaint, and his friends bring him his favorite coffee all the time.

In short, his friends are real-life saviors. Sure, Donghyuck and Renjun have this weirdly demonic synergy when they’re put in a room together, but Mark just supposes that it’s because they’re soulmates. He won’t lie, he thought the two hated each other when he first met them, but Jeno had assured him that it was just their weird way of handling the tension that resulted from their attraction to each other. It’s oddly fascinating, to say the least. Jeno is for sure the least chaotic of the three, but he’s basically an enabler for their shenanigans, and Mark finds himself dragged in more often than not. Even then, he couldn’t ask for a better group of friends.

So when Renjun suggests that they join the study sessions his friend is holding for finals, Mark figures that it can’t hurt. His personal philosophy when it comes to school is that it never hurts to study, even if he doesn’t quite follow his own advice a lot of the time.

(In fact, it hurts his soul to study more, but he’s gone around saying it too many times to his friends that he can’t put down his pride to say that studying actually does bring him pain. Donghyuck claims he’s being dramatic, which Mark thinks is rich coming from him, but he can’t bring himself to deny it.)

Renjun texts him about the study session Wednesday night to confirm the location; apparently it’ll just be their group plus the guy who invited them, and they’ll be holding it in a coffee shop very close to the campus. He decidedly doesn't comment on the fact that Renjun is the only other person in their friend group currently taking a finance final other than himself. Jeno majors in architectural design, and Donghyuck... well, Mark isn't really sure what he majors in. He just sort of lingers around campus like a malicious academic ghost. Mark texts back that he’s down for the study day, everything is settled, and all's right with the world.

The rest of the week passes as usual with an obligatory night of Mario Kart sprinkled in by Yukhei, and Mark thinks he’s already pretty prepared for his exam by this point enough to pass up on the study session. But, Donghyuck promises that they’ll get drink discounts thanks to Renjun, and the elusive caffeine monster within Mark urges him to go anyway for the sake of at least getting cheap coffee.

This is how Mark finds himself present-day at the coffee shop half an hour early, sitting off to the side awkwardly in one of the lounge chairs. He’s not going to order anything until Renjun is here—he’d like to get that sweet discount, thank you very much—so all that’s left for him to do is gaze at his lecture notes aimlessly and try to avoid the distractingly intent gaze of the cat that sits on the seat across from him. Was the cat even allowed there? It’s cute and all, with a soft looking grey and white coat, but Mark feels like he’s being scrutinized. Maybe he’s just being overly-self conscious, and the sensible part of him reminds him that it’s just an animal, but he kind of regrets getting there so early. 15 minutes probably wouldn’t have been such overkill.

So, he sighs and clicks his phone off, leaning back against the plush cushions of his seat and letting his eyes slide shut as he takes in the aromatic scent of coffee. He’s feeling a little sleepy, and he’s not sure if it’s of his own volition or not, but he allows himself to rest for the time being. The coffee shop has probably had more annoying customers than him, anyway. A muttered curse from one of the employees makes him crack his eyes open to the sight of the cat gnawing at the leg of the table for whatever reason; the barista's name tag reads Sicheng, and he pulls the cat away and brings it to the back. At the same time, the door to the coffee shop jingles, and a boy with peachy pink hair steps in, looking just as sleepy as Mark feels.

Still, strangers aren’t as pressing of a concern as his current social predicament, so he turns back around and shuts his eyes again. The cafe is playing some radio pop songs at a calming volume, and Mark can hear the other guy’s voice making his order at the counter.

And this is perfectly dandy, except his coffee order sounds positively hellish. He orders an iced Americano, which is fine in itself, but he specifically asks for no water and one too many extra espresso shots, which makes Mark’s taste buds sob in horror. He mutters a soft but passionate _ what the fuck _ under his breath, and the cashier would probably agree with this sentiment if asked. Naturally, being Mark Lee, he pulls out his messages with Donghyuck to immediately share this development. It’s nothing much, only a quick _ ‘this guy at the cafe just ordered the worst coffee ive heard of,’ _but all Donghyuck does is unhelpfully ask him why he got there so early. He knows it’s a case of Donghyuck not passing up the chance to make fun of his life choices and groans perhaps a little too loud, letting the hand that holds his phone fall against his chest in defeat.

“You good?”

Mark blinks in momentary confusion before realizing that he was being talked to, specifically by the guy with the disgusting coffee order.

Coffee guy is clad in a casual grey hoodie and black jeans, a pleasant but concerned smile on his face at Mark's current state of being. So, Mark offers a smile, pretends that he wasn’t just mentally shit-talking the stranger’s taste in beverages, and gives him a small nod.

“Yeah, I’m just waiting for my friends to get here to order something, hence the, uh...” He makes a vague gesture towards his closed laptop on the table, long forgotten amidst his session of self-pity. “Yep,” he concludes intelligently. Thankfully, the stranger doesn’t seem to think much of Mark’s sudden inability to form coherent sentences and simply laughs, revealing his Very Nice smile. Fuck. Mark's brain unhelpfully supplies that despite how nice as his general mouth area looks, it probably smells like whatever hell beverage he had just ordered, and he promptly drops his gaze.

"Studying, then, huh?" The stranger's tone is sweet and judgement-free, and Mark praises the heavens for the mercy bestowed upon him to not get teased for his social skill level around strangers. He mentally pinches himself, shooting his brain a _ get it together, Mark Lee, _ and straightens his back from where he had been slouching on the cushions.

"I'm supposed to be meeting with a study group, actually, but I think I got here too early," he manages to reply without a hitch, and confetti showers in his brain. Yay, Mark for making conversation with an attractive stranger! As he says this, the other boy's eyebrows shoot up, pink lips parting in some emotion he can't quite put a finger on until he speaks seconds later.

"Oh, you must be that Mark guy that Injunnie talks about, then!" The satisfied glee is evident in his voice, and he finally sits down, couch shifting under his weight. "I'm Na Jaemin, by the way, the one who invited you guys for the study group. It wasn't actually supposed to be everyone else, but it's fine, no harm in having a few extras," the boy—_Jaemin—_replies, and Mark can only wonder how he's never met this guy before. He can practically hear the tiny Donghyuck voice in his head chiding him for looking like a fool in front of Jaemin.

Mark squints at nothing in particular as footsteps approach where he sits with Jaemin, and realization dawns on him as his gaze is met with an unimpressed Donghyuck looking down on him from where he stands, orange sleeves crossed over his chest.

"Did you hear me at all? I said you look like a fool talking to Jaemin," he says, and _ oh, _ that wasn't just a figment of Mark's imagination making up a mini Donghyuck to purposely haunt his embarrassing thoughts. Jaemin only laughs at Donghyuck's words, and Mark looks between the two, mouth opening into a small _ o. _

"Wait, do you guys know each other?" He asks, and impossibly, Donghyuck looks even more unimpressed, dropping onto the seat across from them with a sigh.

"Mark, I volunteer with Jaemin all the time. Maybe if you _ cared about your community _, we wouldn't be having this talk." Mark just gives him an eye roll, mentally calling bullshit on the comment about caring for the community, but smiles nonetheless and changes the subject.

"Well, do you at least know if Renjun is going to get here soon? I haven't ordered anything yet," he explains, and Donghyuck returns the grin. Except he's grinning more at the mention of Renjun than anything else, looking a little love-struck, and Mark wants to gag.

"Yeah, he was just taking a call. He should be here any second."

As if on cue, a tired-looking Huang Renjun opens the door to the coffee shop bundled in a rather large coat, and Donghyuck gives Mark an absolutely unnecessary _ I told you so _look. Jeno follows suit immediately after, an amiable smile on his features. He seems considerably less tired than Renjun, who sits on the lounge chair next to Donghyuck unceremoniously and immediately reaches to hold his hand.

"I don't want to study, I want to take a nap," he whines, and Mark shakes his head in solemn solidarity as Renjun forces himself up from his slouch, letting his bag drop with a sigh. He sniffles, nose and face tinted red from the cold. Or sickness? He isn’t quite sure.

"Me too," Mark and Jaemin concede at the same time, and they turn to each other quickly, clearly amused by their timing. Unfortunately, he can't resist the urge to point finger guns at the other boy, and Donghyuck's lip curls in distaste. Jeno, being the savior as always, clears his throat and puts on his most kind face.

"Okay, should we order now, then?" he offers, pointing a thumb to the counter behind him where the barista appears to be spacing out to an entirely different plane of existence. Jeno seems to pay no mind, and when an uninspired rumble of approval ripples through the group, he makes his way over. Bless his soul for memorizing their coffee orders all the time.

"Well, Mark... hyung?" Jaemin begins tentatively, and Mark nods in affirmation. Jaemin’s a bit quick to be friendly, but he doesn’t mind. "Ah, well. I'm sure you know, but Renjun and I are the only ones who were really planning on studying, but judging by everyone here..." His gaze lands upon the absentminded activities of everybody else. Jeno takes a seat like a normal human being while Renjun looks horribly tempted to sling himself across the couch and fall asleep right then and there. He faithfully clings to Donghyuck, who seems to just be swiping through his phone. Not the most devoted bunch of students.

"Uh, I think you get what I'm saying," Jaemin finishes, the final syllables barely masking his amused chuckle. Oh, Mark sure as hell gets what he's saying. The last time he tried to get a study group together was last year with the exact same people, and needless to say, they got little done. Donghyuck had declared it to be illegal noodle night, meaning he brought a very-not-allowed-in-the-dorms hotplate to boil instant noodles. Renjun and Jeno had pulled in an entire sports bag of said noodles, and Mark... well, what was he going to do, say no? Ah, to be young and full of noodles.

But for now, Mark just wants to be young and full of coffee, so he nods in agreement at Jaemin's words while they wait, not paying much mind to his neglected notes in front of him. Jaemin recounts some story about his unusually chaotic experiences coordinating with Donghyuck in volunteering, Jeno retrieves their coffee after a few more minutes, and Mark feels rather pleased by the end of it all. Something about conversing with Jaemin while the other boy sips his hell drink makes him feel a little more energized, and the coffee is just another added boost in his otherwise sleepy winter day.

Not to mention, Jaemin happens to be incredibly easy to talk to. He has a calm demeanor, almost soothing, even when he peppers in light teases and jests throughout the conversation. There's a nearly imperceptible flair of dramaticism in the way he tells stories and describes emotions, natural to the point that it almost goes over Mark's head without thought, but captivating enough to be realized once Mark thinks over it. Jaemin melds with the rest of them so seamlessly that he wonders how the boy has never been invited to one of Yukhei's obligatory game nights by default through his connection to Donghyuck. Which is high praise, considering that Mark considers the game nights to be a good-friends-only event.

In fact, a decent hour passes between their first encounter and now, empty cups of coffee long forgotten. Mark could lose track of the time entirely if it weren't for the sudden ring of his phone alarm, shocking him out of his peaceful mood and causing him to mutter a swear.

_ clean room + trash _

_ 4:30 P.M. _

Ah. Right. He's been putting off cleaning the dorm for a week. Not as bad as the other times he's procrastinated this exact task, but his attempt to rearrange his belongings resulted in a bigger mess than he was expecting. His friends give him curious looks when he sighs and pockets his phone, tossing his empty cup into the trash dejectedly.

"I keep forgetting to clean my room," he explains before anyone can ask the dreaded question, and they all make simultaneous noises of understanding. "I mean, I technically don't have to go and clean it but. Y'know.”

“Your stuff doesn’t even look that bad, though,” Jeno tries to assure him, but Mark shakes his head.

“Yeah, but Johnny’s going to be dropping some stuff off this week and I don’t want him to talk my ear off about making a mess again,” he sighs. He’ll probably go and do some other stuff to pass the time besides just cleaning, of course, but the pain of having unfinished tasks irks him like almost nothing else.

“I can help you clean up, if you’d like,” comes Jaemin’s voice, and Mark barely keeps his jaw from dropping in surprise at the sudden offer. “I clean up all the time, it’s no big deal.” He says it with such nonchalance that Mark would propose to him right then and there for his generosity if it weren’t for the fact that they’ve barely met.

"Oh my god. Would you really?" Mark blurts, despite the fact that Jaemin shows no sign of joking in the first place. The other boy simply throws his head back and laughs, clearly amused by Mark's reaction.

"Of course I would." Then, to everyone else: "Anyone else want to come and help?"

A traitorous part of Mark's heart makes him want to jump up and tell him _ no, it's totally fine if we clean up alone because god you're kind of cute and I wouldn't mind talking to you for the rest of the day. _Except he doesn't say it out loud because he likes to be a reasonable person that doesn't just shout out his thoughts immediately, but his secret wish seems to be granted nonetheless.

“I’ve gotta go and finish that one essay from a few weeks ago,” Jeno confesses sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. “I’ll be next door in a while if you need anything, though,” he adds, eyes curving into friendly crescents, and Mark finds himself grinning in gratitude.

“I think I’m coming down with something,” Renjun says reluctantly, and a frown immediately crosses Donghyuck’s features. They all must have expected it, considering the state that Renjun entered the shop in and his occasional sneezes, but his words solidify Mark’s suspicions. “I’m gonna sleep or something. Again.”

“In that case, I’m taking care of you,” Donghyuck announces, and Renjun furrows his brows.

“Uh, no, I’ll be fine.”

“Babe, you’re clearly _ not _ fine. Visually, you’re very fine, but not in the immune health sense,” replies Donghyuck, and that’s all it takes for Mark to tune out their lighthearted bickering. He knows full well there’s no use in trying to convince Donghyuck otherwise, and Renjun knows this as well. So, Mark turns back to Jaemin, and the other boy gives him a brilliant smile in confirmation.

“Alright, Mark hyung and I will be on our way, then!” he calls out, standing and offering a hand to Mark. Mark takes it, of course, but he hopes the blush that threatens to flare on his cheeks isn’t too obvious. Not that his friends aren’t already capable of reading him like a book, of course. Jaemin pulls him up and stuffs his own belongings back into his bag, making his way back to the door and Mark trailing behind him. Everybody else waves at them, and the two return the gesture before stepping back out into the chilly winter air.

The cold seems to have eased a little bit since Mark’s initial arrival at the shop, bringing a smile of relief to his face as he tucks his hands into his coat pockets. “Did you drive here or just walk?” he asks Jaemin, still somewhat hoping that he could get the warmth of a car rather than walking like he did to get to the shop.

“Ah, yep, it’s just right there,” Jaemin answers, pointing to a silver car that would be inconspicuous if it weren’t for the plush toys sitting on its dashboard. _ How cute, _ Mark ends up thinking to himself, a small giggle making its way past his lips. They walk to his car and get in, and Jaemin starts the engine, allowing the god-sent heater to work its magic. The shop is by no means far from the university, but Mark isn’t sure he’d be able to manage walking and keeping conversation with Jaemin the entire time on the way back. It’s the little blessings of life, he supposes.

Jaemin still makes small talk, of course, and Mark is thoroughly endeared. He has all sorts of anecdotes, both in and outside of university life, ranging from complaints about his computer science professor to stories about adjusting to dorm life. He chats about how he used to work at a coffee shop before, and it’s rather unsurprising considering the coffee order Mark overheard before they began talking.

“Is that why your coffee order is... like that?” Mark asks, trying not to sound like an asshole, but the pink-haired boy beside him lets out a shocked laugh nonetheless.

“I didn’t take you to be the judgmental type,” he teases, and Mark nearly panics on the spot.

“Oh, no, that’s not... I just mean that it’s kind of... unconventional? You know, because that’s just a lot of caffeine.” He cringes at his own words, but Jaemin pays no mind. In fact, he looks like he’s holding back laughter at Mark’s response, and Mark kind of wants to dissolve and be scattered into the winter air as dust.

“Yeah, I know, I’m just messing with you. It used to be worse, actually. I added more shots of espresso and drank more than one drink in just one day. University does things to the mind. Hell, even high school,” Jaemin continues, and Mark aches in sympathy. He definitely knows a thing or two about academic stress and a fucked up sleeping schedule. He knows more than just a thing or two, in fact, but Jaemin doesn’t need to know that yet.

“Anyway, I just try to ease off the caffeine nowadays. I’m not sure what it was that made me do it. Maybe it was that one chemistry presentation I saw about caffeine addiction? Or maybe I just needed to sleep better, and it really does help nowadays.” Mark may not have the same problem with coffee, but a part of him thinks he understands about the sleeping part, at the very least.

“I used to sleep really bad too, actually. I think the change in setting really helped me, though, maybe? Since I moved here to start university,” Mark explains, and Jaemin lets out an _ ah _in understanding despite the inkling of uncertainty in Mark’s words.

Before he can continue, though, the ride is over and they pull up to the parking lot in comfortable silence, striking Mark with the reality of having to clean his dorm. At least he has Jaemin, he supposes.

Thankfully, the dorms are just as warm as the plushie-infested car, and Mark can slip off his coat as the pair walks up a flight of stairs, reaching his room within minutes.

“Okay, it’s not super bad or anything, but there’s a lot of stuff kinda shoved to one side,” he says as a precaution, but Jaemin looks unfazed as ever. His expression doesn’t change when Mark swings open the door and realizes that maybe this isn’t even a big enough mess to warrant needing someone to help him clean, maybe he just wanted to hang out with Jaemin a little too much. Still, the peachy-haired boy places a reassuring hand on his shoulder, warmth radiating through the fabric of Mark’s striped shirt, and Mark suddenly doesn’t feel _ too _bad about letting him help clean.

At least, until he catches sight of his roommate sprawled across the floor, Nintendo Switch in hand before he realizes Mark is in the room.

“Hey, Mark! And hey, guy I sometimes see taking photos in the quad!” he greets, beaming up at them, and Mark barely refrains from pinching the bridge of his nose. Goodbye, sweet solitude.

“Guanheng, you’ve got to stop sitting on the floor all the time, I need to clean it up. Hello, though,” he tacks on at the end, not trying to sound like a jerk to a sweetheart like Guanheng. The boy in question stands up in concession, migrating to the couch, and Mark lets his bag fall off of his shoulder to the ground.

“Sorry, it’s just that I’ve been meaning to clean around, and I kinda wouldn’t want to bother you in your, uh, gaming escapades,” Mark explains, and Guanheng raises an eyebrow.

“Why didn’t you just ask me to help you clean, then? I never have classes this time of day,” he says, setting the Switch down, and Mark can see that he’s been playing Smash Ultimate.

“I know, I’m sorry, but we’re just gonna clean now if that’s fine,” Mark explains, and a look of understanding slowly dawns on Guanheng’s face.

“Ohh. _ Ohhhh._”

“Um, yeah.”

“_Ohhhhhh,_” he adds obnoxiously and unnecessarily for the third time. There’s a cheeky smile on Guanheng’s handsome features now, and Mark isn’t quite sure why he feels embarrassed. “I get you. Alright, alright, I’ll just swing by Yukhei’s, then.” When the boy finally picks up his stuff and heads out the door, Mark releases a sigh of relief that he hadn’t realized he was holding in, and Jaemin looks unreasonably amused by the whole situation.

“I’m glad you have supportive roommates,” he says, somehow very cryptically, and Mark isn’t sure he wants to understand the implication that he’s being totally obvious towards Jaemin at the moment. So, he opts for explaining what needs to get done, and the other boy nods.

“Alright, just tell me what papers you want to get rid of and where you want things to go,” Jaemin replies, and it’s all smooth sailing for a good whole 32 minutes. The dorm room falls blessedly silent, the two of them more focused on communicating what they need to do and executing the tasks properly than making idle chatter, and Mark has never been more glad to have someone help him with the cleaning. Jaemin clearly knows how to get through things efficiently and what questions to ask, and the difference between Mark’s usual cleaning method and their current collaboration is stark. He kind of feels like he should be paying for Jaemin’s assistance, actually. They even get around to fixing up the bathroom cabinets and the clutter underneath the sink, and Mark is convinced that Jaemin is an angel sent down from the heavens to earth, blessed with incredibly good looks and cleaning skills. Really, what else is there to want in a man?

By the end of it all, Jaemin barely breaks a sweat, and the two of them look upon their work with some mixed degree of pride and relief. The carpet is much clearer than before, the tabletops are organized, and a great burden is lifted off of Mark’s shoulders. He has no idea when Guanheng is coming back, but he can already imagine the surprise on his face when he steps back into the dorm room. Truth be told, it hasn’t looked this clean since he first moved in.

“Thank you so much, you have no idea how much of a help you’ve been,” he rushes out to Jaemin in one big breath, and the younger’s lips curl in a smile, immediately pulling Mark in for a short hug. And wow, he’s just so perfectly warm and squeezes him a little bit in his arms, and Mark wishes the hug had lasted just a tad longer.

“Anytime, hyung,” Jaemin says warmly, the corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiles. “I’m hungry, though, so I’m heading back over to my place. Sorry I can’t hang around!” He turns, grabs his own stuff, and opens the door.

“Oh, but also...” Jaemin looks back towards Mark, shamelessness written all over his features. “I’ll invite you to eat out sometime, yeah? You’re cute when you’re flustered.” A bold wink, and just like that, the door shuts behind him and Jaemin is gone. Mark can only gape in silence, the only sound being his heart thudding in his ears and Jaemin’s words repeating in his head like a broken record.

This is much more than what Mark was expecting from a failed study session in a coffee shop.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark has a few important conversations with his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hahaha.... i love.... taking forever to write. ANYWAY sorry this took forever 😔 and this is going to end up.... longer than intended! oops!

“So, did you make out with him or something in your dirty room?” Renjun asks offhandedly outside their lecture hall a day later, and Mark nearly spews his complementary smoothie that he got for slipping in a puddle of mop water at Jamba Juice.

He coughs for a few seconds, and Renjun allows him to recover before Mark manages a weak, “_Excuse me?_”

“I’m talking about Na Jaemin,” he elaborates, and Mark stares in bewilderment.

“I know, it’s just. How did you even come to that conclusion? I don't do that with people I've just met.” Renjun returns the look as if the possibility of them making out wasn’t far from impossible, putting his hands up in surrender.

“Because you’re clearly into him? At least tell me you got his number or something,” he retorts, and _ oh shit _, Mark didn’t even get his number. Something in his expression must give away his mortification, and Renjun sighs in mock disappointment, hauntingly reminiscent of Donghyuck.

“You didn’t get his number, then.” It’s more of a statement than a question, and Mark feels his face burning.

“No, I didn’t,” he admits. “It’s not that I didn’t want his number or that I was afraid, I just kinda forgot.” Renjun at least looks sympathetic towards his struggle. Or, as sympathetic as someone can look while grabbing a fistful of tissues and blowing their nose into it.

“I can just give you his number, or you could’ve asked Donghyuck,” he offers, wiping his nose, and Mark cringes at the thought. No, as gentle as Donghyuck could be with these things, Mark is unsure his plight of cute boys and forgotten phone numbers would suffice as much other than teasing material.

“I think you should just give me his number,” answers Mark, and Renjun motions for Mark to hand over his phone while pulling out his own. He complies, opening his contacts list before doing so, and Renjun puts in the number. Not without snickering at the way he saves his other contacts, of course, but the moment is thankfully short, and Mark is spared the full embarrassment.

“You’re all set, then. Good luck,” Renjun whispers with a good-natured smile, and Mark definitely hopes luck is on his side.

And for a while, luck _ is _on his side. That is, until he steps into his room later on in the day and immediately lets himself fall onto his bed, barely managing to text a message of thanks to Jaemin before sleep overtakes him for a whole 4 hours.

When his eyes crack open and catch sight of the time on his phone, he immediately sits up with a curse. It’s 10 p.m. already, and he hardly remember falling asleep so early. Then, his screen lights up with a text:

10:46 p.m.

**luvrboy supreme 5000**

sorry for the late reply, I was taking a nap! but you’re welcome (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧!

Mark squints in confusion at the screen, incredibly lost as to who _ luvrboy supreme 5000 _is supposed to be.

Ah, right. Nevermind. It must be Renjun’s doing. A part of Mark wants to think that it's an unexpected form of humor coming from Renjun, but the more he thinks about it, the more expected the humor actually is. He lets the screen blink off into darkness, ready to just let sleep be his savior and save him from his friends.

At least, he's ready to do that before he catches sight of Guanheng standing in the middle of the room, face illuminated by his own phone in a way that borders on creepy. Mark squints at him, not sure if he's seeing things correctly without glasses or contacts, but his heart leaps out of his chest when his roommate suddenly squats to Mark's level.

"Are you awake?" he questions, and Mark doesn't really want to be, but he nods anyway.

"Well, yeah, I'm awake. Why?"

"Oh, just..." Guanheng frowns. "You looked weird."

Mark vaguely feels like he should be offended by the statement, lips parting in confusion and brows furrowed. "Weird, as in...?" he prompts, and Guanheng seems to think.

"You woke up while I was trying to get some fruit jellies. Then you looked alarmed, and then confused, and then satisfied. Or something," he lists off, and Mark supposes that's how his thought process must've looked from an outside perspective.

"Wait, do you mean _ my _fruit jellies? The ones that keep disappearing?" he realizes with a start, and Mark swears that the other boy flushes as a nervous grin finds its way onto his face.

"Uh, obviously not? Anyway, did you want to maybe let your trusted roomie in on what's going on?" Guanheng switches the subject back so quickly that it's commendable, and Mark wants to groan that he should never call himself a 'trusted roomie' again. Still, he relents, pushing himself into a half-assed sitting position so as to not be uncomfortably close to Guanheng's face.

"Nothing's really going on, I suppose," Mark sighs. "Falling asleep at bad times isn't really anything new, y'know."

Guanheng looks entirely unconvinced, exhaling dramatically before standing up and resuming with... wait, what was he doing again?

"Right, also, don't steal my fruit jellies," Mark tacks on at the end for good measure, but something in his roommate's face tells him that there are no promises to be kept concerning the safety of his snacks.

"Alrighty then, Mark. Get some rest," Guanheng replies simply, and Mark breathes out, turning around in bed and getting comfortable again. Thankfully, sleep comes back to him easily and without resistance, and he dozes off one last time for the night despite the lingering fear of his snacks being stolen. His sleep is mostly peaceful, but he can't ignore the lingering memory of Na Jaemin in the back of his head even as his mind falls into darkness. He suspects there'll be a long way to go before they end up crossing paths again.

◇

As it turns out, Mark's idea of a long way to go ends up being much shorter than he anticipated, because he runs into him at the library the exact day after. Mark is just trying to get some productive work time in while surrounded by a quiet environment, but fate apparently has other ideas for him. He's just sitting at one of the tables, desperately trying to absorb the information in the textbook in front of him, when a familiar head of peachy hair appears in the corner of his vision.

It's almost funny how quickly Mark tunnel visions on Jaemin, who doesn't seem to notice his presence yet, seemingly just gazing at the bookshelves. He's not actually carrying anything in his hands, and if Mark had to guess what Jaemin's doing in the library, he'd honestly answer that he has no idea. Mark's brain reminds him that _ yes, some people actually enjoy reading in their spare time and don't just come under the guise of seeming productive, _but even now, the other boy doesn't seem particularly... invested in the books. Jaemin pulls out a book from the shelf, and Mark catches a brief glimpse of the title in bold, white letters.

_The Manly Art of Knitting?_

Jaemin seems just as confused as Mark feels, setting the book down with a hesitance reserved only for those who happen to be the victims of accidental manly-knitting-induced intrigue. Whatever the hell that means. By this point, Mark is starting to get an inkling of an idea that Jaemin isn't actually here to peruse the library and is feigning _ something _ . He just isn't quite sure yet what that _ something _is. Jaemin's gaze flits to both sides, strangely shifty before catching Mark's gaze from around the corner of the shelf. His eyes widen in surprise, and Mark would try to avert his eyes if it wasn't for the fact that they both clearly saw each other.

Jaemin wastes no time speed walking towards the table, placing his hands on the surface with alarming speed and grin growing on his face. "Thank god you're here, I have no idea what I'm doing right now." For someone so apparently discombobulated, his voice holds no trace of shame, and Mark's mind goes on autopilot. Needless to say, he really wishes his brain would think things through before immediately blurting out:

"Did you try tracking me down or something?"

The way Jaemin momentarily gapes is undeniable, and he sputters a bit before inevitably laughing. Mark can't even bring himself to be embarrassed when he finds himself smiling along with the other boy, a light flush attractively dusting Jaemin's cheeks, and he's just so... wow.

"No, I didn't, actually. Or maybe I did?" He's teasing, and Mark can hear it in his tone. And boy does it do things to his heart. Still, he wills himself to stay steady and listen to Jaemin like a normal human being, reminding himself that they're still mostly strangers.

"Anyway," Jaemin continues, "I guess I did just try to find your whereabouts on campus a little bit. I could've texted Donghyuck or Renjun, but I'd rather talk to you directly." Alright, dang, Mark feels oddly touched. "I just wanted to say that if you need any other favors, I'm here anytime except classes, of course. Or if you'd like to just chat sometime, that's cool too," he offers, and his smile is just so warm and inviting that Mark can only nod.

But, it doesn't feel quite right. He snaps himself out of his stupor and closes his mouth. "But, Jaemin, you're always helping people. Are you sure you don't want anyone helping you, too?" Mark asks, and for the second time that day, the peach-haired boy seems to go speechless at his words. A beat passes and Mark worries that he may have been too sudden with the suggestion, but that comforting smile returns to Jaemin's face before he can assume the worst.

"I appreciate it, hyung, really. I'll keep that in mind."

And just like that, Mark lets go of a breath he hadn't realized he was holding back, his mind at ease. The flow of the conversation returns, and Jaemin leans against the side of the table where Mark works.

"Still, text me if you need anything. Or call if you're that kind of person, I guess," Jaemin says, and Mark snorts. "See you around. And good luck on that assignment!"

The boy departs with a light wave which Mark returns, and although he would've preferred not being reminded of his impending doom (read: academics), the exchange leaves him with a floaty feeling in his chest. It's a feeling that persists for the rest of the day, even when he almost falls asleep in one of the restrooms on campus before a concerned Jeno barges into the stall, startling him out of any possible accidental naps. He can't even be mad when he returns to his room that evening and finds Guanheng suspiciously squatting at the foot of his bed, presumably to steal his candies again, and Mark instead flops onto his sheets with a sigh. His roommate promptly shuffles away from his bed, opting to sit on the floor instead.

"Something up?" Guanheng asks, an eyebrow raised critically. "You look mushy."

Mark isn't entirely sure what he means, but a snort of laughter breaks through regardless, and he has to admit that he must look a _ little _lovesick.

"Nah, just library stuff," he lies, but Guanheng is annoyingly perceptive as ever and rolls his eyes, resting his chin on top of his mattress.

"Don't lie to me, Mark. Most of the time you just look kind of annoyed when I'm intruding upon your general property," he comments, and Mark purses his lips.

"Dude, come on, we're friends. That's just 'cause, like, you never stop eating my food."

Guanheng looks a little touched if Mark is being honest, tenderly placing a hand upon his own chest, but he quickly shakes his head as if to snap himself out of a trance.

"Okay, _ no_, I am not letting you get away with changing the subject again. What's got you so happy in a way that your wonderful roommate can't replicate?" he demands, and it's Mark's turn to roll his eyes.

"No offense, but I don't think you want to make me happy in the same way. This is love stuff, I think." This draws an intrigued expression from his roommate, who props his chin up on his hand to get a better look at him. After a few seconds, he lets out a low whistle, and Mark's ears just might be burning in self-consciousness.

"Huh. You're pretty serious about this, then," Guanheng finally replies, and Mark gives him a slight nod. "Well, I'm here if you need anything. But also, are you sure you wanna go about things like this?" He makes an unclear gesture, and Mark's eyebrows furrow in confusion. Upon his evident lack of understanding, Guanheng rubs the back of his neck, clearly hesitant to proceed.

"You know, since there are soulmates out there, and you don't really know who he is to you yet."

Something in his words causes a nearly imperceptible shift in Mark's mind. Of course the one thing that's been plaguing his life for years would be the thing his memory fails to remind him of concerning a matter as crucial as _ this._

"You're right," he concedes, and Guanheng actually looks regretful at mentioning the idea of soulmates.

"Sorry, Mark, I'm sure you'll be fine. I mean, not all soulmates are platonic, and your whole sleeping thing is understandably confusing, just..." he takes a deep breath. "Take your time."

Mark lets the silence between them linger momentarily before shaking his head. "No, I get it. I'd just rather be happy now than compromise that happiness for something in the future," he responds with finality, and his friend nods.

"I know, I'd do the same thing, too. Just don't hurt yourself or someone else." And with a comforting squeeze to his arm, Guanheng whisks away, leaving Mark to contemplate by himself in the fading light filtering through the blinds on the window. When all is said and done, he's glad to have Guanheng as both a friend and roommate. He knows how to have a good laugh, but he wastes no time in understanding the weight of situations and being a solid comfort. And for that, Mark couldn't be more grateful, but there's still a slight weight lingering upon his shoulders.

A part of him knows that he just wants to get to know Jaemin better; funny conversations and encounters here and there are more than welcome, and the other boy at least seems interested in Mark. His rational side reasons that getting Jaemin to open up is only a matter of letting things progress naturally, but reason be damned, Mark's heart just may be prone to betraying itself. He knows there isn't much use in hanging onto his creeping anxieties. Not that it'll stop him from doing exactly that, of course.

He groans, turning over in his bed and tugging the blue blanket over his head with no small amount of stress. It's in this moment that he almost immediately decides that he needs to get over himself, no matter how tempting it is to wallow in his self-pity. He just needs to shape up and lift his own mood, right? Getting out of his room would be a good idea, for starters. Sliding out of bed, he puts on his sneakers and brushes his fingers through locks of black hair in a half-assed attempt to make himself a tad more presentable. Surely Yukhei won't mind if he busts into his room for a chat and games.

(Truth be told, he has no idea how well the plan will pan out. Yukhei might not even be in his dorm room for all he knows, but it's not like Mark has anything better to do. Like a research paper due in three days or that one collaborative assignment he's been putting off. No, that'd be ridiculous.)

Thus, Mark officially dubs himself a man on a mission, namely, the _ Locate Wong Yukhei _mission. Except it's much easier than he expects, and he stumbles upon the person in question immediately upon stepping outside of the dorm building, nearly getting knocked over onto the pavement in the process.

"Oh, shit, Yukhei! I was just looking for you, actually," Mark exclaims, bringing a luminous smile to the taller boy's face. "I thought you'd be back in your room, though."

Yukhei shrugs, slinging an arm around Mark's shoulder. "I'm going back there right now, anyway. All good." Mark notes the suspiciously stuffed duffel bag hanging off of his shoulder, but makes no comment knowing that it's probably for one of his oddly genius photography ideas or something similar. If not, then probably food. "Did you need anything, man?" asks Yukhei, cutting through his thoughts, and Mark snaps his gaze away from the bag.

"Uh, not really? Just thought I'd hang out for a bit for the night, if that's fine," he explains, and Yukhei doesn't seem to mind the fact that he's practically inviting himself over. It's not exactly a rare occurrence for them, anyway, considering how often Mark's passed out in Yukhei's room before. Yukhei gives a hum in understanding, then pulls his bag to the front and unzips the main pocket. Lo and behold, the bag is stuffed with food, just as Mark expected.

"I stopped by the convenience store and stocked up on snacks and stuff," he explains, and Mark ascends right then and there because his poor, wracked body would die for something other than the ramen he's been making for the past few days. Not that junk food is exactly a meal, but, well. That's life.

"Xuxi, you're a god," he groans, and the other boy tips his head back with laughter as they make their way back to Yukhei's room. Mark immediately goes for a bag of corn puffs like a starved man, tearing open the bag and popping a few into his mouth.

"Don't thank me, thank Guanheng. He wanted to get some stuff in advance for our game nights so everyone isn't emptying their own bags just for a bunch of snacks," replies Yukhei, swinging the door open to his room and setting down the bag off to the side. "Also, bro, I love you. But please don't eat too many of our snacks."

Mark stops mid-crunch in realization, as if his mind is barely processing that they need to save the snacks for later. "Oh, shoot, right." Then, another realization: their game night is literally tomorrow. Ah, to be lost in the sweet, unrelenting passage of time and constantly forget what day of the week it is. But, grievances with time aside, Mark remembers a very distinct thought he had at the café and... no better time than the present to propose his ideas, he supposes.

"Also, Yukhei," he begins, and the taller boy turns to look at Mark. "Do you happen to know a Na Jaemin?"

Yukhei's eyes brighten in recognition almost immediately, and goddamnit, why does it feel like everyone has known Jaemin at some point in the past except for Mark?

"Of course, he stops by to visit Dejun a lot for their weird compsci stuff. Why do you ask?" Yukhei says it so innocently, head cocked questioningly at Mark, and Mark maybe wants to die of embarrassment.

"Uh, yeah, I was just thinking we could invite him. Not like, tonight, but for the game nights. Since he's all of our friends, you know," he manages to reply without his voice trembling, and honestly, that's all the confidence Mark needs to decide he won't back down on his suggestion. "I just think it'd be fun."

"Sure, we can do that! But also, can I ask a question?" Yukhei asks, and Mark's head is already filled with so many possible mortifying questions. _ Why exactly do you want him here? Have you guys been hanging out? Are you into him? _

But instead, Yukhei inquires, "How haven't you two met before?"

Mark feels a little shame for not giving Yukhei enough credit to not ask embarrassing questions, and he toys with the hem of his shirt.

"I don't know, dude, I'm kinda asking myself the same thing. It's so weird, it's like he knows everyone I know!" he exclaims, and his friend's shoulders shake with laughter at his dramatic statement.

"Don't worry about it, Mark. Consider it done," Yukhei assures him with a warm smile, and a cool feeling of relief washes over Mark's body from his kind understanding. If Jaemin isn't busy, then hopefully they all can formally hang out again and talk in person. Mark can deal with that, he thinks.

For now, though, he lets Yukhei carry him away in silly conversations, any semblance of anxiety fading in his mind. He'll let himself handle everything later, and god willing, something even better will come out tomorrow night. All he can do now is let the hours tick by in anticipation.


End file.
